Coverage for the week of 17th - 23rd August 2006
 

Well we're off again.  No doubt you'll have heard the season described as a roller coaster already.  It's over used and I'm guilty of using it plenty myself of course but frankly the way things are already looking elsewhere (remembering we're not even into September yet!) I think I'd take the roller coaster over a magic carpet any day.

The opening week of the season brings with it hope and expectation.  This year I think we've been more low key than usual and that probably isn't a bad thing in my opinion.  As one of the more usually upbeat souls within the tf bunker even my normally over excitable nature has been rather flat.  News like this about Michael Owen probably haven't helped (Article).  Out for the season by the looks of it (Article) and all ominously quiet after his second operation (Article).  As one B&W wag put it - "That's what you get for kicking melons around the supermarket with a broken foot if you ask me!"  Fair enough.  It wasn't just me that got more and more angry every time that bloody advert came on over the World Cup was it?  Nah thought not.

With a shortage of bodies in mind, especially up front, most of the press speculation centred on the transfer market.  A number of names came up time and again with the promise from on high that at least three would make their way to NE1 by the close of the transfer window (Article) (Article) and a striker "pledge" (Article).  You can insert your own Mr Sheene joke here if you like.

But which striker?  Is it Klose? (Article)  Nope. (Article) (Article)  Some random Russian? (Article) Possibly, especially if a certain agent is involved.  Eventually, after lingering speculation which started in the Sunday Mirror (Article) and continued throughout the week (Article) (Article) a £10million fee was agreed with Inter for the transfer of Obafami Martins (Article), who duly arrived on Tyneside to seal the deal before the UEFA Cup qualifier against Ventspils (Article) (Article).  21 or 28, Nigerian, Cameroonian, black, white, purple or blue I frankly don't care what he is as long as he brings goals.  He will provide something we have been deprived of for too long, pace where it hurts.  We wish him well, and hats off to whoever told him to twirl his scarf when he was brought onto the pitch.  NUFC in positive PR coup.  Whatever next?  A "world class manager" in the Village of the Damned?  Nah even more incredible than that we've managed to palm Juventus off with Jean Alain Boumsong (Article) and got £3.3m back in the process!  (Article)  The signing on fee will help pay off the speeding fine he leaves with too (Article).  This all leaves us short of bodies still however, in my opinion.  The last week of the transfer window may well be a busy old time and for all the right reasons I do hope it is.

The build up to our opening league game against Wigan centred around a determination to do better than last year with both Roeder (Article) and Shay Given (Article) demanding improvement and UFEA cup football by the more direct route as a must.  A mixed game played out in dreadful conditions brought mixed reactions and a whinging Scouser in Wigan manager Paul Jewell.  (Article) (Article) (Article) (Article) (Article) (Article)  Though I do wonder what we did to deserve this report from our favourite Mackem, Louise Taylor (Article) which I think may have just been hastily scribbled on the back of a fag packet after Match of the Day, though I could of course be wrong.

Deservedly taking the plaudits for his performance in the game was our own Fenham Eusebio. (Article) (Article) (Article)  More shifts like this and he will be finally letting his long legs ( Carlton Palmer) do the talking and I'm all for it.  Played one, made one, scored one.  Keep it up lad, as long as your hip and hamstrings can hold out anyway.

Sunday brought the other of the week's main talking points, yet more rumours of a takeover.  The Sunday Times broke the news, in a brief but interesting piece, that the Belgravia Group were exploring the possibility of bidding for the shares still owned by Sir John Hall (Article was then jumped all over by everyone from the BBC (Article), the tabloids, the locals (Article) (Article) and the broadsheets (Article) to Sky Sports News (Article) dragging out the usual selection of clowns, buffoons and curiously edited interviewees from Northumberland Street.  A unique proposition indeed (Article) and amidst rumour that Belgravia are acting on behalf of Sheikh Al Mahktoum this one may have a way to run.  Better the devil you know or would his be a serious proposition to move the club to the next level?  Watch this space.

What to leave you with this week then?  We've got some fancy new changing rooms now apparently.  (Article)  Lets hope we can keep the towels clean in these ones and have no more conjunctival related incidents.  And everyone seems to want to do a "blog" these days, especially in Thomson House.  Not content with his efforts over the summer Luke Edwards now has his own for the japes and jocularity he will encounter this season no doubt.  (Article)  No mention of Kieron Dyer (or if he had an invite to his son's alleged £100,000 christening (Article)) yet but there's plenty time.  Not to be out done, the Evening Chronicle's Lee Ryder is having a go as well at http://www.easy-ryder.co.uk/.  Don't worry it really is his blog and not some sort of gay bikers club, but I did worry mesel' the first time I saw the address too.  It will be interesting to compare the 2 and if they dare to deviate from party line on any issues throughout the season or will they just degenerate into banality.  Happy blogging, it's good to be back!

 
NM